Her Child was Kidnapped by The State | Jerm Warfare

Jerm (0:30)

My name is Jerm, this is Jerm Warfare, the Battle of Ideas. Kate Markland, thank you for joining me in the trenches.

Kate Markland (0:38)

Oh, thank you very much for inviting me, Jerm.

Jerm (0:41)

Kate, the pleasure is all mine. So I didn't know who you are or what your story is until a week ago when I was in the UK at the UK Column 20th Anniversary event, and you spoke and you shared your story, and I was swallowing lumps, and I suspect it's because I've got two kids, one of whom is a month old, as you know, and I think what you spoke about is obviously very close to the bone.

Now, I know your story, but for the sake of those listening to this, we'll have to go through your story again, and before we do that, I'm just gonna play a clip that you played at the event, just to start off the conversation, and then everything will make sense a little bit later on if that's okay with you.

Gabriel Markland (1:33)

Hi, I'm Gabriel, the author of the book, The Adventures of Gabriel, where I go fighting terrifying sea creatures with my trusty sidekick, Platy the Platypus.

We go finding hidden treasures and mythical creatures like phoenixes, but getting shipwrecks along the way, but then being rescued by a whale shaft, and then swimming all around the world with a blue whale to see all the major ports. Where will you go in your adventures? What will you do? Who would you go with? I can't wait to hear your stories. Now, over to my mom.

Jerm (2:12)

All right, so that is your son, Gabriel. And as I said, everything will become clearer throughout the course of this conversation. But just quickly, Kate, who are you and why am I talking to you?

Kate Markland (2:25)

I'm Kate, mum to Gabriel. I used to be a physiotherapist for 20 odd years and run my own clinics. Now, I'm Gabriel's scribe, co-author, and inspirer, I suppose, for other people to create the world that they would like to be in through the power of fantasy fiction and story.

Jerm (2:45)

Okay, but now, why are we talking about Gabriel?

Kate Markland (2:51)

Gabriel's 12 now. The week before he turned 10, he was removed from my care here in the UK by armed police.

And the guilt, the grief is indescribable.

There was a knock on the door on a Friday morning. They were there in their gear, body cams, tasers. They'd come for him.

And there was nothing I could do. Gabriel stood his ground. He'd done martial arts since he was tiny, since he was three or four. And he used to go to a class with teenagers, and he would have to level up when he went to the class with teenagers. And he did the same to these policemen. He leveled up. No, no, no. He really stood his ground with them. And I suspect it's not going to be until an old, he's an old man that he actually realizes is a nine-year-old, he did that. One of them grabbed him. He knew from martial arts how to get free of one grown man's grip, so he did. Two of them grab him. There's nothing we can do. He's in his pajamas. It's the beginning of December. It's icy. They drag him down the drive on the ice. They've got their van blocking the drive. They open the back door of the van and they've got a cage and they put him in the cage. And I'm asking, what have I done wrong? They say nothing. I'm asking, what's Gabriel done wrong? They say nothing. They have a court order to remove Gabriel from my care on the conjecture that I'm an unfit mother.

And there is nothing I can do. And I think the closest analogy that I've seen and that we mentioned is, like on the David Attenborough programs or whatever, when you see the orcas come for the seals. And that's the way to just describe it, the predatory attitude of these police officers. They were not listening to me. They were not listening to Gabriel. They asked me, did our home county Gloucestershire know what was going on? I said, yes, but nobody is listening to us. They took him regardless. They didn't stop to make a phone call. There was no humanity in these guys at all. And the only way I can describe it is either like the child snatchers in Chachachachabangbang, or like when you see the orcas come for the seals, and you're the mother seal and your pup's taken, and you're powerless to do anything about it.